Press gathering on Westminster Bridge ahead of ‘Bonfire of Austerity’ protests & civil disobedience

[Socialist Party Head Office]

Party Members may be interested in the following event-







Operational Note



Date: 4th November 2013

Embargo: Not for direct publication

Attention: industrial, economic, political, London and planning correspondents



Press gathering on Westminster Bridge ahead of ‘Bonfire of Austerity’ protests & civil disobedience





Leading anti-austerity campaigners will speak at a press conference on Monday 4th November at 11am ahead of a national day of coordinated direct action against austerity, to be held on 5th November.



Over 30 towns and cities will see ‘Bonfire of Austerity’ events, including a mass occupation of Westminster Bridge where campaigners will ceremonially burn their energy bills.



Nationally, events will range from sit-down protests in public spaces to occupations of banks and exploitative payday lenders.



Thursday’s press conference will see leading campaigners discuss the growth of opposition to government’s agenda as well as look ahead to the day of action.



Who: Owen Jones (journalist and campaigner), Ian Lawrence (General Secretary, NAPO), Sam Fairbairn (People’s Assembly Against Austerity) and others.



What: Press conference with possibility of one to ones



Where: Westminster Bridge (South bank side)



When: 11am start, Monday 4th November 2013



No prior registration is required, but please let us know you are coming by emailing office@thepeoplesassembly.org.uk





Notes for Editors:



1.    For more information contact Sam Fairbairn, 020 8525 6988 / 07746 330422 / 07946 877293 / 07412 019623, office@thepeoplesassembly.org.uk



2.    The 'Bonfire of Austerity' events will take place across the country on 5th November. For details of all local events see http://thepeoplesassembly.org.uk/5nov/



3.    The People’s Assembly Against Austerity was launched earlier this year to bring together all those who oppose the government’s socially devastating austerity agenda. Over 4,000 people attended it’s founding meeting on 22nd June.



4.    The founding appeal for the initiative was signed by Tony Benn, nine trade union general secretaries, MPs and leading campaigners.

[Socialist Party Head Office]

For Members interest

Hundreds of anti-austerity campaigners will occupy Westminster Bridge today
(5th November) to express anger at what they believe are failed government
economic policies alongside more than 40 parallel protests taking place across
the UK as part of the "Bonfire of Austerity".

The direct action, supported by more than 25 groups including trades unions
and pressure groups, will see giant energy bills set on fire to highlight
growing living costs and falling wages which are amongst the sharpest in
Europe.

Earlier in the year the Peoples' Assembly brought thousands of campaigners to
Central Hall in Westminster where delegates said "We do not accept that
government’s austerity programme is necessary. Austerity does not work: it is
a failure in its own terms resulting in neither deficit reduction nor growth
[…] it is unjust, immoral and undemocratic. Alternatives exist."

In September the Peoples' Assembly coordinated the 'Save our NHS' protest that
saw more than 50,000 people outside the Conservative Party conference in
Manchester.

What: Bonfire of Austerity, burning energy bills on Westminster Bridge along
with campaigners from many groups, including trades unions, political parties
and pressure groups.

Where: Westminster Bridge, London

When: Gathering at 6pm today (Tuesday, 5 November). Fireworks and burning of
energy
bills at 7pm

For interviews call: 07412019623, 07872481769, 07970126249
Further details about the protests and Peoples' Assembly at
http://thepeoplesassembly.org.uk/

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